Refrigerator



Dec. 22, 1936. E. E. EICKMEYER REFRIGERATOR Filed July 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 22 1936. E. E. EICKMEYER REFRIGERATOR Filed July 19, 1934 II III lvlllolvllllllllll trllllllrl v I i Illillllltlllllfillilll lillllllllllllli lf ll- Patented Dec. 22, 1936 PATENT, OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Earl E. Eiclnneyer, Dayton, Ohio, or to The Dayton Pump & Manufacturing 00., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 19, 1934, Serial No. 736,103 4 (01. 62-116) This invention relates to refrigerators and, in particular, to refrigerators having separate compartments wherein different conditions of refrigeration are maintained.

One object of my invention is to provide a refrigerator having separate refrigerating compartments, one of these compartments being movable to more conveniently expose the contents.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator having separate refrigeration compartments wherein one compartment is movable, each compartment having its own separate refrigerating element.

having fixed refrigerating compartment and a movable refrigerating compartment, these compartments being cooled by separate fixed refrigerating coils.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator having one compartment adapted for dry refrigeration and another compartment adapted for wet refrigeration, one of the compartments being movable so as to facilitate access to its contents.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator having a lower dry-refrigerating compartment and an upper movable wet-refrigerating compartment, the latter being operatively connected to' the door leading thereto, so as to be moved when the door is opened.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator having a lower dry-refrigerating compartment for food and an upper wet-refrigerating compartment for articles which are more satisfactorily cooled by wet refrigeration than by dry refrigeration, as for example, bottled goods; the wet-refrigerating compartment being attached to the door leading thereto but being cooled by a supplementary cooling unit over which it passes when the door is closed.

In the drawings: v Figure l is a perspective view of the refrigerator door of the wet-refrigerating compartment open to expose the container and the refrigerating coils therefor;

Figure 2 is a vertical section, looking from the front of the refrigerator along the lines 22 in Figure 3; V

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the lines 3'3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section, looking from the righthand side, and taken along the lines 44l in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 shows the refrigerator of this invention as having.

a casing l. Access to the interior of this casing is gained by the door 2 leading to the lower or motor compartment 3; by the door 4 leading to the middle or dry-refrigerating compartment 5; 5 and by the door 6 leading to the upper or wet-, refrigerating compartment 1.

The lower compartment is provided with a condensing unit, generally designated 8, and by an electric motor 9 which transmits power by the belt ill to the compressor H. The outlet side I2 of the compressor ll leads by the pipe It to the condensing coils M, from the opposite end of which the pipe l5 leads to the liquid tank l6. From the, latter the pipe ll leads to the refrigerating elements in the middle compartment 5, while the return pipe [8 conducts the refrigerant back to the intake side of the compressor from the refrigerating coils in the upper compartments, as hereinafter explained. The 0 walls of the casing I and the doors 2, 4 and 6 are filled with suitable insulating material l9 whereby outside heat is prevented from entering the refrigerator and the cold conserved therein. 25

The refrigerating apparatus in the middle compartment 5 consists of a header 2!], to which the previously mentioned pipe l'l leads. From the header 20 the pipe 2| leads to the main refrigerating coils 22, from the opposite end of which the pipe 23 leads to one end of the supplemental refrigerating coils 24. From the opposite end of the latter the pipe l8 returns to the compressor, as previously stated, (Figures 2 and 4). The supplemental cooling 35 coils 24 are contained in a frame 25 which is supported between the walls of the refrigerator.

Attached to the door 6 as by the connecting member 26, is a container 21 which is adapted to move with the door 6. The container 21 is provided with an outlet pipe 28 having a swinging nozzle 29 attached thereto. The container 211s provided with an offset portion forming a pocket 30 which is so formed as to receive the supplementary cooling coils 24 when the container 21 is moved into the upper compartment 1 by closing the door 6. Beneath the container 21 and the supplementary cooling coils ,24 is a drain pan 3| forming a partition between the refrigerating compartments 5 and] (Figure 2) and having a drain cock'32 at the lowest portion thereof. The drip pan 3| is preferably made of heat-conducting material, so that it serves as a partition between the compartments 5 and I, conducting heat therebetween. 5

The supplemental refrigerating coils 24 are closing of the door 6 swings the container 2'l into place immediately over the supplementary refrigerator coils 24 which are immediately beneath it in the 'pocket 30.

When the refrigerating unit 8 is started, the refrigerating gas is compressed by the compressor ll driven by the motor 9 and passes through the pipe l3 into the condensing coils l4, whence it passes by the pipe l into the liquid tank IS. The liquid refrigerant then passes therefrom by the pipe ll to the header 20, where it starts to expand, absorbing heat while expanding, and then becomes vapor. The vapor, still expanding, passes from the header 20 by way of the pipe 2i into the main refrigerating coils 22; and thence passes by way of the pipe 23 through the supplementary refrigerating coils 24. The refrigerating gas cools the middle compartment 5 by means of dry-refrigeration, whereas the coolin coils 24 cool the container 21 and its contents by means of wet refrigeration through cooling the liquid contained therein. The refrigerating vapor, after passing through the supplementary cooling coils 24 returns to the compressor H by way of the pipe l8, where it is re-compressed and the cooling cycle repeated.

By thus causing the refrigerant to pass through the separate sets of coils 22 and 24, the maximum cooling effect is obtained and the utmost heat absorption effected. At the same time, the upper compartment 1 may be refrigerated to a diflerent temperature from that-of the middle compartment 5. When it is desired to remove bottles from the compartment "I, the door 6 is opened, and the container 21 swings outwardwith the door. The tops of the bottles then come fully into view'and the bottle or bottles desired may be immediately selected. It thus becomes unnecessary to provide a cover for the refrigerator, by which access may be obtained from the top, the latter construction being inconvenient on account of the difficulty of seeing into the refrigerator from above.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

- Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p

1. In a refrigerator, a casing having a plurality of compartments and doors leading to .said compartments, one of said doors having a container attached thereto and movable therewith whereby said 'container moves outward when said door is opened and inward when said door is closed, said container having a pocket adapted to receive its refrigerating unit when its door is closed.

2. In a refrigerator, a casing having a lower compartment with a door, an upper compartment with a door, a refrigerating unit for each compartment, a liquid container rigidly mounted on said upper door and arranged to swing integralLv therewith over its refrigerating unit when, said door is closed, and a drip pan arranged between said compartments and adapted to serve as a partition therebetween, said drip pan being of heat-conducting material whereby to transmit heat between said compartments.

3. In a refrigerator, a casing having a lower compartment with a door,.an upper compartment with a door, a container adapted to receive liquids attached to and swingable with one of said doors, a horizontally-disposed refrigerating unit arranged to lie immediately beneath said container when said door is closed, said container having an indented portion adapted to receive said unit, and a refrigerating unit of hollow construction in said other compartment and adapted to receive trays therewithin, said units being connected to one another and to a common source of refrigerant.

4. In a refrigerator, a casing having a lower compartment with a door, an upper compartment with a door, a refrigerating unit in one compartment, a container mounted to move into and out of said compartment, a drip pan arranged between said compartments and adapted to serve as a partition therebetween, and a second refrigerating unit associated with said drip pan, said drip pan being of heat-conducting material whereby to transmit heat between said compartments and cause the first refrigerating unit to assist the second refrigerating unit in the removal of heat from the articles in said container.

EARL E. EICKMEYER. 

